Return of Sarok
by JayHawk134
Summary: <html><head></head>Five ninja. One sensei. One samurai... and one new enemy. Unlike anything the ninja have fought before, he won't stop at anything to get what he wants. His loyal servant is a master of deception; one of the ninja is their target. But there is one who lies in wait-a far greater adversary with a diabolical plot in mind. Can the ninja uncover the true danger before it's too late?</html>
1. Prologue

**Hi everybody! I'm JayHawk, #1 ninjago fan in the universe! :P I hope you love my story as much as I do! **

***disclaimer* I do not own ninjago. I own my OCs, and I would name them but I don't wany to give the story away so you'll just have to read and find out who they are! :D**

It was dark. They were outside with their infant daughter, putting the finishing touches on their new machine. She cradled the infant in the crook of her left arm while shining a bulky flashlight on where he was working. He grinned at her as he gave a large gear a strong twist, and the machine shuddered to life. Tucking the flashlight into her belt, she pecked him on the cheek and the three of them headed towards the house.

Something stopped them- a whisper in the brush, a soft clang on the surrounding mounds of junk metal… As it turned out, stopping was the worst possible option. It happened so fast neither could comprehend it. A pair of sai flew through the air, one slicing the side of his cheek. The other must have been magically strengthened, for when it snagged on the baby's blanket, it whisked the baby out of her hands and held it aloft, careening along, propelled by the lone sai. A series of soft thuds marked the presence of a large being, leaping from pile to pile of metal junk. Reaching a muscular hand into the dim light that the house emitted, they skillfully plucked the mysterious sai, as well as the baby it carried, out of the air. She gasped. The baby emitted a small cry, not necessarily of hurt but of surprise.

Letting out a cry of rage, the mother darted toward the intruder, prepared to fight for her young. The interloper raised a muscular hand, and with a flick of his wrist, shot out five razor-sharp daggers. They pinned her to the wall by her clothes, unable to do a thing. Trying a similar maneuver proved fruitless as he ended up in a similar position.

Wearing a sinister smirk, the trespasser darted away. He disappeared into the night, taking their squalling baby girl with him. "No!" she cried, breaking down in tears. Eventually the daggers' grip on his clothing failed, and he fell to the ground. Carefully removing the blades that held his wife up, he caught her in his arms. The cry of another child was heard from within the house, but ignoring it with tears running down their faces, they stood there, watching in the silent darkness for a long, long time.

**Who are these parents? Whatever happened to their daughter? And just who could the mysterious intruder be? I hope I have you on edge! More chapters soon!**


	2. Chapter 1: Out Cold

**I'm back! And I won't delay you from reading any longer than I have to, so dive right in! (Remember, the prologue and first chapter are loosly related, but not directly.)**

Jay gasped as Cole slammed into him, knocking the blue-clad ninja to the ground. Pushing away his brother with his feet, Jay caught his breath for a minute, then sat up, grinning. "How did you do that?" he inquired excitedly, "First you were like 'whoa,' then you were like 'ahh!' and then you were like, 'ka-BAM!' Instant takeout!" Cole chuckled and grinned back at his friend. "If you had ever pause playing those videogames of yours and read that book I lent you, you might know a little more about it," he quipped. "Hey! You like Fist-to-Face 2 too!" the blue ninja countered defensively, feeling his face starting to turn red. "Not as much as you," Cole pointed out. Jay conceded defeat, rolled his eyes, and pretended to stalk out from the training room and onto the deck of the Destiny's Bounty. As soon as he heard Cole turn on the training machine, he slipped silently behind the door. He didn't need a book to perfect an amazing move! Cole worked his way closer to Jay's hiding place. Now, all he needed to do was…

"Hi, Jay!" Kai greeted, followed by Lloyd and Zane. Jay facepalmed and groaned aloud. "This close!" he wailed, holding up two fingers to visually heighten the claim, "I was this close! Aargh!" Cole chuckled as he shut off the machine and came over.

"Forget something, Jay?" the ninja of earth inquired teasingly. Jay scowled at him, but he couldn't hide the twinkle in his hazel eyes that showed that he wasn't really angry. Cole clapped him of the back good naturedly, bringing the grin back to his face, and they all headed, laughing and joking, to the deck.

Jay leaned on the railing, watching the fading twilight as he rested his head on his crossed arms. Life had been quiet lately. To anyone else, a quiet time would be a great time to kick back and relax. To a ninja who was highly trained to be observant, adrenalinzed, and anticipating, however, all that comes to mind with unexpected peace is that the enemy side must be planning something big.

Sighing, he shifted position, mind muddled. If there really were true peace, at least for the time being, he wanted to enjoy it. Then again, if there weren't, he'd hate to be off guard. Sure the others felt the same way, he had turned to voice his concerns when he felt a sharp pain in the side of his head. The blue ninja collapsed, head throbbing.

Cole was the first to notice. "Jay!" he exclaimed in surprise. The others crowded around him immediately. "What happened?" Kai inquired with concern. "I don't know," Cole replied, "I just looked over, and there he was, flat on the deck!" Something on the deck caught Lloyd's eye. "Creepy, little iron ball, anyone?" he commented, holding up a small black sphere. His stance indicated that is was quite heavy.

Suddenly, the sphere detonated, sending Lloyd flying and hurling tiny black shards everywhere. A wide net spread from its center, enveloping a delicately carved post just to their left. The instant the net settled, a sharp tug on a nearly invisible cord drew the corners tight, and with an audible groan, the wooden post snapped off and was hauled overboard. Lloyd stared at the black shards that littered the deck in shock, pushing himself up on his elbows. Zane scooped up an unconscious Jay and started to carry him inside, bumping into Nya on the way. "Zane? Jay! What happened!?" Zane explained generally what happened, finishing with the suspicion that whoever threw the ball-net meant to drag Jay over the edge. Her eyes widened. "Who would do anything like that?" she exclaimed angrily. The ninja of ice bent down to retrieve one of the larger shards and handed it to Nya. On the shiny surface was imprinted a strange symbol.

"Weird…" she muttered, tracing her finger along the grooves. It was hard to guess the nature of the shard- obsidian, perhaps? The samurai followed Zane inside, with the others close behind. As he set Jay down on the bed with an icepack on his head, the white ninja turned to Kai's sister. "Nya, do you want to go see if you can-" "On it," she interrupted determinedly, tightening the red bracelet on her arm and casting a worried glance at Jay's unconscious form before slipping out the door.

**:O Will Jay be okay? Who detonated the sphere, and why? Ttfn!**


	3. Chapter 2: We've got company

**Just a nugget of comprehension: the chapter opens with Nya descending from the Destiny's Bounty to figure out whodunit :)**

Nya descended slowly, enjoying the feel of the wind in her hair despite the situation. Jay had given her her own reinforced pair of the wings he invented… Jay. She hoped he was all right. Aside from when he got his full potential—she smiled as she remembered how their first date at the amusement park had gone—he'd never actually blacked out before. The cool air biting her skin didn't seem so fresh and invigorating anymore.

Pushing the negative thoughts from her mind, Nya tried to focus on landing. As she approached the ground, she stuck her feet out the way Jay had taught her and touched down neatly. She folded the wings, tucked them into her knapsack, and eyed her surroundings.

A loud clang echoed throughout the area, followed by a frustrated growl. When she heard quick footsteps coming towards her, she dropped to the ground, rolled behind a thick bush to her right, and listened closely, trying to see through the dense shrub.

As a figure came closer, Nya's sharp eyes detected the flash of the last rays of twilight on a pair of tiny daggers, karambits, one clenched tightly in each fist. The samurai's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she caught sight of the intruder's face. A long ponytail hung over one shoulder. It was a girl! Nya's eyes hardened as she caught sight of a necklace around her neck, representing the same symbol as the one on the obsidian chip.

A wave of enmity swept over Nya. Here was the girl who had tried to drag Jay over the edge of the Destiny's Bounty; whose mistake had led to his unconsciousness instead. She was tempted to leap from her hiding place and teach the girl a lesson she wouldn't forget, but reason and logic bubbled to the surface of her mind. This girl possessed a pair of karambits, dangerous weapons that were known for being difficult to master, and she was obviously quite skilled at them. Nya decided to wait.

It was a good call. The samurai flinched as the girl expertly hurled her razor-sharp weapons through the dry, dead branches that loomed ominously overhead. Leaping up and using her legs to catapult her forward, she performed a series of intricate flips to catch the falling wood, dropped it in a pile at the base of a wizened tree, and plucked her karambits from the air, landing deftly. She was skilled, no doubt about that. Nya watched her strike her weapons against a rock, producing a spark that immediately lit her little pile of sticks. Crouching near the tiny flame, the girl pushed up her sleeve to reveal a bracelet that looked nearly identical to the one Nya wore constantly and pressed the large red gem in the center. A face appeared in its reflective surface, and Nya surmised that it was a kind of communication device.

"Are you done yet, Piper?" an angry, impatient voice boomed. "The blue ninja is currently unconscious, but I have failed to bring him with me," she answered in a small voice. "Unconscious! Unconscious! He's supposed to be out here, not there, you fool! What went wrong?" "He moved," she answered timidly, cowering from the seething image in the bracelet. "He moved," it shot back in a bad imitation of her voice. "Are you really so incompetent that you can't complete such a simple task as this?" "I will do better," the girl replied meekly, "The blue ninja will be in your clutches by morning." "He had better be."

The instant the girl ended the communication and the face disappeared from the crystal, Nya leaped up and tackled her, throwing the bracelet and both karambits to the side. Thanks to the element of surprise in her attack, Nya soon had the girl tightly bound and gagged with strips of leather from her pocket. Her eyes wide with fright, the girl struggled fiercely, but all efforts were futile. Pulling her cell phone from another pocket, Nya flipped it on and called Kai. "We have company. Can you come pick us up?" she requested. He responded with, "What are brothers on flying ships for?"

**Who is this mysterious girl? Why does she possess the symbol? And what does she want? Please tell me what you think in the review section (and give me something to read! :P)**


	4. Chapter 3: What's all the ruckus?

Piper felt the glares of the girl in red and the four ninjas boring into her. She scowled back silently but defiantly from her chair as they discussed her fate. Then the blue ninja entered the room.

He had a large blue and purple goose egg covering his upper-right temple, and he winced as the girl in red threw her arms around him and embraced him tightly, accidentally knocking heads. "Sorry!" she apologized, hastily stepping back. Carefully rubbing his noggin, he grinned and hugged her again while carefully holding his head away.

"Who's this?" he asked, gesturing at Piper. Her anger surged, and she struggled against her bonds with renewed intensity. Here was her target, standing a mere four feet away, yet he might as well have been four miles away. Her ties were simply too strong.

Then she actually made eye contact with him, and they both jumped involuntarily. The two youth, except for gender, were practically identical. Same hair color, same wide hazel eyes. Same mouth hanging open in shock.

Oblivious to their surprise, the red ninja stepped forward. "That's the girl who provided you with that lovely goose egg." Piper shrank back, expecting an angry retaliation that she would be unable to counter, but the blue ninja only chuckled and chided, "There are other ways to get noticed, kid." Borrowing the red one's sword, he quickly sliced through her bonds and tossed it back. The red ninja caught it deftly, eyebrows raised. "Better. Now, what's your name?" he inquired. "Jay…" the girl in red said warningly. Jay- so that was his name. "I got this," he replied loosely. Though she knew she had no time to pull out her karambits, Piper took advantage of this distraction and shot to his feet, pushing off the chair to gain the force needed to deliver a vicious kick. Then, almost faster than humanely possible, Jay grabbed her ankle and flipped her to the ground. "I said, 'What's your name?'" he repeated.

Piper ground her teeth and retried her attack. Fists flailing, she leaped back up, only to find herself flat on her back. Again. Eyes burning with hatred, she sat up slowly. "Piper. I am Piper," she muttered under her breath. "Awesome," he mused, "Piper. So… why are you here?" "To capture you," she spat, "Obviously." "Okay… I knew that. Um… new approach: why do you want to capture me?" She regarded him through wide hazel eyes but said nothing. Jay exhaled. "What else… Is it a coincidence that we look so much alike?" This question wasn't directed at any one person, and it hung loosely in the tense air.

"How should I know?" Piper muttered to herself. Was it just a coincidence, as Jay had said? Or could it be fate?

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Piper awoke suddenly, staring at the wooden slats of the looming ceiling. She was angry with herself for falling asleep, but maybe it would serve to better catch the ninjas off guard. Besides, she hadn't slept for days. She moved to rub the sleep out of her eyes, but remembered her hands were still bound behind her back. Her feet weren't, however, and she swung them agilely over the side of the bed. Now standing, she experimented with the knots on her wrists, but they were too tight, and she relented. Sidling over to the door, she turned around to get at the knob with her hands and cautiously twisted it open. Stepping into the silent hall and not seeing anyone, she tiptoed towards the door that led to her freedom.

Suddenly, something slammed into her, pinning her to the wall. "Where do you think you're going?" the red ninja, who she had learned was Kai, asked accusingly. "Get off me, ninja!" she growled back, struggling against his iron grip. "Now, why would I go and do a stupid thing like that?" he retorted. "Jay seems to trust you, more or less, but I speculated that you'd try to escape tonight. Looks like I was right."

"What are you doing, Kai?" the girl, Nya, poked her head out of her room with a tired expression on her face. "What's Piper doing out here?" Piper decided it was time for some dirty work and cried, "Nothing! Kai woke me up and dragged me out here!" Nya raised an eyebrow. "Really." she sounded unconvinced. Piper's frown deepened- Nya trusted Kai a little too much for that approach to work. The two teenagers were siblings, after all. She was still scowling at Kai when the other ninjas stumbled, bleary eyed, into the hall. "What's all the ruckus?" Cole mumbled, slapping his cheeks to make himself more alert.

Slamming her heel down on Kai's bare foot, Piper wrenched her bound arms free and tried to retrieve the dagger she kept strapped to her calf. Grimacing in pain, Kai tackled her, arms spread. She squirmed away desperately, but by then the others had joined in. She struggled for freedom, kicking wildly. If she could just get that dagger, she'd have a chance to get away.

"Enough!" an irritated voice commanded. Piper involuntarily froze, but the ninjas and Nya scrambled to their feet, although Kai kept a tight grip on her forearm. "Yes, sensei," they muttered guiltily, keeping their eyes down. An elderly man with a long, white beard stood in the doorway, holding a bo staff in one hand and a blue teapot in the other. Piper rolled her eyes. Based on the talk the previous night, she deduced that this was Sensei Wu. The respect they had for this old guy was driving her crazy. "It is the middle of the night! Zane, what is going on?" Since the ninjas had already explained Piper's situation to him the night before, Zane summed it up with, "Well, Kai caught Piper trying to escape and pinned her down. Then the rest of us joined in." "Well," the sensei started, "It is over now. You six go back to bed. Piper, I wish to speak with you." Kai released Piper with a shove and spun on his heel, heading for his room with the others in tow.

**Oh ho now Sensei is involved... Watch out, Piper!**


	5. Chapter 4: Start what?

**Hi guys! I'm watching ninjago with my little bros and its the episode where Zane's suit turns pink :P anyway, on with the story!**

Kai scowled across the table at Piper, who was pretending not to notice. Breakfast has been uncharacteristically quiet, with questioning glances at Piper and Sensei Wu throughout the meal. Everyone was rather out of sorts from the midnight fight, but the sensei had insisted that they get up at the crack of dawn regardless.

Kai was dying to know what Sensei Wu had discussed with Piper the night before, but they all knew that no amount of badgering could, or would, make him divulge anything until he was good and ready, so the ninja of fire settled back to wait impatiently.

Finally, Piper finished eating her syrup-soaked waffle and carefully arranged her utensils in the sticky residue that remained on her plate. As soon as she had swallowed the last bite, she asked, "So, Sensei Wu, when do we start?" Kai had waited through a painfully slow breakfast for an explanation, and this was all he got? He needed more clarification. "Start what?" "Training, of course," she replied, flashing him a grin. Kai had a knee-jerk reaction, flipping over the back of the counter behind him. "What in the world are you talking about?" "Kai, get down," Sensei admonished nonchalantly. "I have invited Piper to train with us."

Kai's head shot up in astonishment. "You what? Why?" The sensei only smiled and ushered the seven of them into the training room.

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Piper was good. Like, really good, exploiting every loophole, dodging every obstacle. Kai flipped a switch on the side of the room, raising a replica of the training course Sensei Wu had him complete when he first became a ninja, desperate for something that would challenge Piper's skill. She completed it in ten seconds flat. Kai's mouth dropped open. Just who was this infuriating, deceitful girl?

But Kai could see no possible way that Piper could end up being an ally. She was an expert fighter with an evil mission in mind. Besides, she was a girl!

_A very lovely girl,_ a voice in his head said, making him scowl and push it away. He knew it was true; Piper was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but there was no way he was ever planning to admit it.

A split second later he found himself flat on the floor, with Piper standing triumphantly on his back. Nya chuckled, "Kai, pay attention!" He set his face with a determined expression and rolled over, causing Piper to lose her balance and tumble to the floor, laughing. "Seriously- what is it with her and her total personality change?" Kai muttered to his sister upon getting up, watching Piper engage Zane in a skillful duel using PVC pipes. "Lay off, Kai! She's insecure enough right now, and the last thing she needs is to think she has no allies!" she chided back. "Lay off?" he retorted, "Her job is to kidnap Jay, remember?" Nya sighed impatiently. "Kai, if sensei thinks she's okay, then she's okay." "How does he know?" Kai exploded, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. He turned red and muttered, "Never mind. It's nothing." They shrugged and went back to training.

"Just remember, Kai, trust is a powerful thing," Nya pointed out before jointing the others.

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Piper sighed with pleasure. The deck had the perfect view of the impending sunset; a light breeze caressed her cheek. Tonight she could complete her mission and be out of there- only six more hours. She had the sensei on her side—she was sure she had convinced him of her 'innocence' the previous night—and she was pretty sure most of the ninjas trusted her, more or less. There was still reason to be wary of the red one, Kai, nevertheless she was unconcerned. But one thing still bothered her.

Sensei Wu's words from the night before still echoed in her mind. _You were not born to evil, Piper. _She knew it couldn't be true; she had served the dark master since her earliest memories. Still, they made her uncomfortable, and she pushed them away. She was a servant of the dark, and would always be a servant of the dark.

In a way she envied the ninjas—how they were all best friends, always laughing and smiling—but it would never be hers. She knew her destiny was to serve the dark master, and she would fulfill it well. She was relieved when the sensei confiscated her necklace during their 'chat' the previous night; her master could spy through it, and she didn't want to harm the ninjas any more than necessary.

"What am I thinking?" Piper said to herself, "I am a destruction machine! I do what I please to whom I please!" But still, she couldn't convince herself that she actually wanted an awful fate for these teenage boys. She'd just grab the target and go. Besides, there was the matter of Kai…

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Scowling, he watched from the necklace as it was removed and put into the old man's waiting hands, then wrapped in silk and stowed in a drawer. "How dare she!" he growled, turning to another screen and flipping it on. The necklace wasn't his only means of spying, just the most convenient. It also allowed him to read the girl's thoughts, a fact unbeknownst to Piper, and as he directed his latest tool, disguised as a tiny insect with abilities similar to those of the necklace, onto her shoulder, his gaze hardened considerably. He didn't like what he heard running through her mind. "So, she's growing feelings for the red ninja, is she?"

She was taking too long. It was time to take matters into his own hands.

**(*gasp*) Who is this guy? Why does Sensei decide to trust piper? And (you probably already know this one :) what is going on with Kai?**

**Next time, on Return of Sarok! :P**


	6. Chapter 5: Do you trust me?

**Hey sorry if this chapters kind of short; the next one's longer!**

Kai glanced at Piper. With her eyes closed, face relaxed, she looked so sweet and innocent, tension gone as she rested on the deck railing. Nya had gone inside, but now she poked her head out and warned, "Guys, you'd better all come inside now; we're about to pass over Torchfire Mountain. The noxious fumes from the volcano can upset the Destiny's Bounty's equilibrium, and the ride can get pretty rough. We don't want anyone falling off!" she joked. Nodding, Cole, Jay, Lloyd and Zane filed inside, with Kai and Piper bringing up the rear.

Suddenly, the ship lurched and twin screams echoed throughout the rocky mountainside. Quickly returning to the edge of the deck, grasping the railing tightly, Nya peered over, into the volcano. She gasped., Kai and Piper lay sprawled on a three-foot ledge, situated about thirty feet below the top of the volcano. Stunned and out of breath, a moment passed before the two teenagers got up. Piper stumbled, and Kai barely caught her. They stood, pressing into the wall, watching loose chunks of rock freefall towards the lava and land with a molten splash.

He watched the two petrified teenagers as a slow, evil smile painted his face. The timing was perfect- he could eliminate one of those interfering ninjas, and that traitorous Piper simultaneously. Leveling the shooter that rested next to him in his stony cave, hidden deep within the shadows, he pressed the button.

Twin missiles shot out, one exploding a mere six inches from Kai's head, the other hitting the tiny, rocky shelf, making it tremble. An evil laugh echoed throughout the volcano. Now terrified and mystified, Kai looked to find the source, but Piper already knew.

As another set of missiles hit the fragile shelf, Piper fell to her knees and desperately choked out, "No! No, master, stop!" In response, a fifth missile shot out, exploding directly between them. The force of it knocked the two teenagers clear off the ledge. Kai's fingers found the edge, and Piper clung desperately to two niches a foot or so below him. Tears ran freely from her eyes. She knew her master was aiming for a final time. "Kai! Do you trust me?" Her fingers were slipping, and she knew his were as well. Kai flinched at the desperate question. "Does it matter?" he shouted back. Piper knew neither of their grips would last more than a few seconds. "Do you trust me?" she repeated. Gritting his teeth, Kai squeezed his eyes shut. Trust is a powerful thing, Nya had said. Opening his eyes, he shouted back, "Yes!" "Then let go!"

Only hesitating for a split second, Kai obeyed. Piper let go to catch his feet, pushing him upwards with as much force as she could muster. He landed in a heap on the ledge, and screamed, "Piper! No!" He watched desperately, hopelessly, as she plummeted, arms pinwheeling, towards the bubbling magma far, far below.

**Goodbye piper... You didn't see that coming did ya?!**


	7. Chapter 6: Hello, master

It's one thing watching your sworn enemy plummet into a volcano. It's another thing watching your kind of evil crush who just saved your life heroically plummet into a volcano.

After Nya carefully lowered a thick rope and Kai scaled it, he sat on his bed and stared numbly at the wall. She was gone- Piper had sacrificed herself so he could escape. The guilt was overwhelming.

"She's not gone, you know," Sensei Wu entered the quiet room. Kai continued to brood as he replied sullenly, "Yes, she is. I saw her fall; she let go to save me." "She is not gone," the sensei repeated, "The spirit smoke does not lie. I cannot pinpoint her exact location, but I do know that her master is quite angry with her." Kai's head shot up. "What do you mean?" "I said nothing I did not mean," he informed before leaving the room.

It took a minute for Kai to recognize the feeling that suddenly blossomed in his chest. In the midst of the shame, the guilt, the blame, a spark shot through his heard.

A spark of hope.

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Piper rubbed the bruise forming on her shoulder. Why couldn't her master have caught her on a pillow or a mattress or something? Falling three hundred feet and landing on a slab of stone can hurt. She was lucky to have gotten away with a painful shoulder and not a broken leg, or worse.

She still didn't understand why Kai had decided to trust her. She had hurt his friend, fought his sister… and fallen in love with him. Right now he was probably either gloating over vanquishing his enemy, or beating himself up over her choice. If anything she knew about him qualified, the second option was much more likely. Kai wasn't a gloater.

Feeling something watching her, she tuned up her senses. She had learned to tell when she was being studied, but now it didn't have the same feel as when her master watched her; then it felt angry, impatient, and full of malice. This gaze felt curious, laced with wisdom. Untensing, she rested her chin on her hand. Let them stare.

Letting her imagination loose, she fantasized. Maybe the watcher was the Sensei Wu character, and he'd tell Kai where she was, and Kai revealed that he actually did like her, and he'd come rescue her, and she could renounce her master and become a ninja and they could go save Ninjago together…

She sighed and buried her head in her hands. It wasn't like that could ever possibly happen. Her master would probably punish her for interfering, but she knew that enduring it was worth saving Kai, even though they could never be together.

The twist of a stone knob made her look up as he entered the room. "Hello, master," she muttered, averting her eyes respectfully. "Is that all you can say? 'Hello?' You could very well have ruined the whole operation! What do you have to say for yourself?" he growled. Piper stared at the rough-hewn ground but didn't reply. "How about an 'I'm sorry?' an 'I'll never do it again?'" he suggested scornfully. "Well, I'm not sorry, and if I was in that situation again, I'd definitely do what I did, the exact same way," she retorted. She knew she was treading on eggshells, but the anger that came bubbling up overwhelmed any fear of reprisal. Her master's face turned bright red, and the veins stood out on his forehead. Piper cowered back with fiery eyes.

Then he turned and sat down, sighing. He stayed that way for a few minutes, then silently stood and stalked out, locking the door firmly behind him.

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Pacing back and forth across his quarters, he scowled at the ground. The girl was getting too rebellious. Glancing at the portrait on the wall, his shoulders slumped. What had he been thinking, shooting a missile at Piper? _He_ could have easily ruined the whole operation in his outburst of anger. He needed her alive for this to work: his life's mission. The expression Piper had worn haunted his mind like a recurring nightmare. He had seen it before- the last time he had seen the girl in the portrait.

The angry, desperate eyes, the defiant frown. It had all happened all so long ago, and yet the memory refused to abandon him. He wished he could do it all over.

If only he could go back.

**Aww poor guy... but pipers back! Well, for now, at least... ',:) **


	8. Chapter 7: Is something wrong?

**Hey guys! Next chapter is gonna be a major turning pint in the story! Just FYI :P but this chapters pretty cool too ;)**

Chapter Seven: Is something wrong?

_Jay was surrounded by piles of scrap metal. The junk next to him was finely detailed, but beyond that, a fine mist obscured everything in sight. Glancing around, he was near to deducing that he was alone when the dim glimmer of a flashlight caught his eye. Straining to see through the mist, he saw two people. A white bundle of blankets, a baby, was cradled in the shorter person's arms. He heard the sudden whir of machinery, and the two people stepped away from what they had been working on. Squinting, he realized that they were a man and a woman, probably husband and wife._

_Suddenly, a thud told him that there was now someone standing next to him. Jay tried to turn to face them, but he seemed to be frozen in his spot. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched in horror as the being next to him, a figure in black, skillfully hurled a pair of sai in the couple's direction. One skimmed the man's cheek, drawing blood; the other snagged on the baby's blanket, whisking it out of the mother's arms._

_With an impossibly quick, high pounce, Jay watched, still immobilized, as the figure in black plucked the baby from the air, just before it hit the ground. The shadowy person pinned the two parents to the side of an RV before bounding off into the night, child in hand. Another child's cry echoed from in the RV. Jay's eyes widened as he realized that he recognized the vehicle._

_After all, before he left his parents and became a ninja, it had been his home._

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Jay shot up in bed, covered in a cold sweat. He sighed and slid his legs over the side of his bed, relieved that he could move again. Replacing his covers, he headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Filling his cup, the blue ninja sat at the table to ponder his disturbing dream as he sipped his icy water. Why would his dream take him to his parent's junkyard? He hadn't been there in months. And why the horrible event? He set his cup in the sink and returned in his room. Maybe he should tell Sensei Wu about his dream. No, going in the middle of the night would seem childish.

He'd tell him tomorrow.

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Breakfast was tense and unusually quiet. The first meal of the day was generally very boisterous on the Destiny's Bounty, but today the merriment was replaced by a heavy silence. When Piper had first arrived, everyone, especially Kai, had vehemently wanted her gone, but now that it was pretty clear that she wasn't coming back, even with Sensei Wu's assurance that she was alive, they were starting to get inexplicably worried.

Jay cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Umm… sensei? Can I talk to you for a minute?" "Of course, Jay," the sensei said agreeably, rising from his chair. As Jay shut the door behind them, Sensei Wu's brow creased with concern. "Is something wrong?" "I'm not sure," the blue ninja confessed, "I had this weird dream last night and I felt like I should tell you about it." He quickly related his nocturnal experience as Sensei Wu watched him carefully.

"Very interesting," he murmured once Jay had finished, "I'm sure it has a great significance to come at this time, however I am not sure what kind of significance. Let me think about it for an hour or so." Jay nodded and turned back towards the kitchen. Sensei Wu laid a hand on his shoulder. "You did well to tell me, Jay."

The blue ninja managed a small smile, but the sensei's reaction had left him shaken. Yes, the dream had been unnerving, but his teacher's prediction of its importance made him even more uncomfortable.

Sensei Wu disappeared into his room. Jay was reaching for the doorknob when he sensed someone standing next to him. Just like in the dream. Whirling around, the swirling of black fabric caught his eye before a heavy blow sent him sprawling, unresponsive on the hard, wooden floor.

**Mwahahaha! (*cue evil Lloyd laugh*) I can tell u have a bunch of questions, so I won't ask any myself :) c u later!**


	9. Chapter 8: Siblings?

**Hi guys! This is the chapter a lot (of not all =P) of you have been waiting for! XD**

Head throbbing, Jay cracked his eyes open, blinking a few time to get them used to the harsh light. Piper's face came into focus, less than three feet from his own. "You," he growled, lunging forward. He was jerked back by thick chains he hadn't noticed before. A half-smile painted Piper's face, but it disappeared quickly. "I never should've trusted you," he muttered. "Hey! It wasn't me!" she defended desperately, "I'm tied up, too, if you'd care to notice." She indicated a thick chain attached to her right ankle.

"Let me explain, she started anxiously, "When I saved Kai, my master kind of got really mad at me. I stood up to him later, and he left me locked in my room for an hour or so before coming back and locking me in here. Other than that I don't know anymore about what's going on than you do." She looked relieved when Jay relaxed. "So," he began, "How do we get out of here?" She shrugged and replied, "We don't. I'm sure my master has his reasons." "Well," Jay conceded, tugging on his chain, "That's the difference between you and me—I'm not gonna sit here waiting for something to happen like a trained poodle."

Piper watched him in amusement for a few minutes before informing him, "It's not like you're going to 'poof!' break the chains. They're enchanted, just like most of the stuff my master uses." He sighed and gave the chain a final pull before plopping in the ground in defeat. "Really—I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems."

"No," a voice boomed from behind them. Jay turned and caught sight of a man dressed in a swirling black cloak. The dark master. He scowled at them as he contradicted Piper's reassurance. "It's worse."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Zane was just finishing the dishes when Sensei Wu returned to the kitchen. "Have you seen Jay?" The sensei inquired. Zane shook his head. "We had assumed he was speaking with you." "He was," Sensei Wu replied, "But we concluded over half an hour ago." The white ninja cocked his head. "Mayhap he is with the others?" The sensei shook his head, making his long, white bead wave. "I just left them. It seems that he is gone. Kidnapped is my best guess." Zane cocked his head. "Could Piper have done it?" Sensei Wu pursed his lips. "Piper is not the enemy here. It is her master that we must worry about."

Whistling sharply, Zane held up an arm as a chocolaty brown falcon glided into the kitchen and landed on it. "Find Jay, and return with his location," he instructed. The robotic bird nodded and glided away.

"While we wait, may I ask what Jay spoke to you about?" Sensei Wu sat down and smoothed a napkin over his lap. Pouring himself a cup of tea, he turned to Zane. "Normally I would say no, but since the matter is fairly urgent, I might as well make you aware to the circumstances: Jay and Piper are siblings." Zane blinked. "Siblings?" "Twins, in fact," he continued, sipping his steaming drink calmly. "Sensei, how did this knowledge come to be?" the nindroid inquired. "Jay had a curious dream, presumably of an event that I have realized is in his past. He shared it with me in great detail, and after deep pondering and sufficient research, I have arrived at the inevitable conclusion that they are related. Jay does not yet know, and his absence worries me—I believe he now resides in the captivity of Piper's master." Turning to face the window, he announced, "The falcon approaches. Let us hope it bears good tidings."

As the falcon glided in unsteadily, Zane's eyebrows shot up. Its head was down, and its tail feathers were singed. Stroking it lovingly, Zane gestured for Sensei Wu to follow him into the control room and flipped on the giant screen situated on the far wall. Recordings from the robotic bird's camera came into focus. As images of Jay and Piper lit the screen, Sensei Wu nodded grimly.

Then someone else entered the room. Clothed in a swirling black cape, they looked directly at the falcon's camera, raised a black-clad hand, and generated a fireball from nowhere. They hurled it forcefully at the robotic bird, barely missing it. "That explains the singed feathers," Zane sympathized. The camera bobbed up and down as the falcon glided away unsteadily. The last thing they saw before it left was the man in black stepping forward, towards Piper and Jay. He was scowling. Then they were out of sight.

Darting into the other room, Zane called the other three ninjas in. "Jay was kidnapped, Piper's his sister, and we have to go rescue them," he explained breathlessly. Kai's eyebrows shot up. "I bet it was Piper's fault… wait. Sister? You mean to say our supposed enemy is our best friend's sister?" Even as he said it, he felt a blush rise to his cheeks at the prospect of seeing Piper again. Sensei nodded, coming up behind the ninja of ice. "Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute! You said Jay was kidnapped? By who?" Cole interjected with concern. Zane shrugged. "All we know is that he's Piper's master, he wears black, and he can shoot fireballs. And by the way, Kai, it was not Piper's fault." Kai opened his mouth to ask more, but he was cut off by the green ninja.

"Okay, there's a ton I want to know about the situation too, but if Jay is in the bad guy's hands, we'd better go and save him instead of sitting here jabbering about it," Lloyd interjected, pulling his green mask over his face. The others smiled faintly and did the same.

Just then, Nya walked in. "Okay, guys, where are we going this time?" "We?" Kai repeated testily, "As in you and us? Nowhere. We're going to go get Jay back, and you're staying here." He indicated the male ninjas surrounding him. "Get him back? Isn't he just…" she trailed off. "Where is he?" "Based on the falcon's sightings, I believe he and Piper are being held captive in the old, abandoned tunnel system near Torchfire Mountain," Sensei Wu replied, "He was kidnapped just now." "Kidnapped? Jay? Kai, you know me better than that! Of course I'm coming!" she exploded at her brother. "Worth a try," Kai shrugged, and headed for the door, with his four friends and teacher in tow.

**Yeah now the story's rolling! Tell me what you think! :D**


	10. Chapter 9: Detrius peak

**Hi everybody! Sorry I haven't updated in a while; I was in the car for four hours without wifi! But now I'm on vacation _with_ wifi, so everything's gravy and I can go back to doing one of my favorite things to do: posting new chapters! Enjoy!**

All was silent when they arrived. Zane approached the metallic doors and laid a hand on one, then turned to face the others. "The dark master was here, as well our friends, but I only sense loss. The ones we seek, friend or foe, have left this place and are now elsewhere. Their current location is unclear." Cautiously nudging open the heavy doors to reveal a network of tunnels, Cole stepped inside. "It looks deserted," he reported, stooping to retrieve the scrap of fallen parchment that caught his eye.

"What's that, Cole?" Lloyd asked. The black ninja studied it for a moment longer before replying, "Not sure. It could be a map or something; that's what it most closely resembles, but the text is all garbled. I recognize a few of the major landmarks by their pictures, but they're geographically all in the wrong places." He handed the paper to Sensei Wu, who raised an eyebrow as he looked over it. Kai and Zane peered over his shoulder at it as the sensei concluded, "This is most assuredly a map of Ninjago, however it does not seem accurate in the least." "Hey! Lemme see!" Lloyd said, standing on his tiptoes. Sensei Wu shrugged and handed it to the ten-year-old. Lloyd squinted at it, then looked up at his companions. "What do you mean, 'garbled?'" Cole glanced back at the map and restated, "I said what I meant—it's unreadable." Lloyd shook his head. "No, it's not! It has directions at the bottom to get to Det-det-detrius peak," he informed them, stumbling a bit over the difficult name. Kai cocked his head. "I'm sorry, Lloyd, but I just can't tell what you're seeing." "It's really there," the green ninja insisted, "You really can't see it?" "Lloyd, this is not funny! Quit joking around," Cole reprimanded sternly. Lloyd was close to tears. "But I'm not joking! It's there!" he protested desperately.

Zane took the map. "I believe that as the green ninja, Lloyd's eyes can perceive what we cannot. Remember, as Sensei says, 'To be a true ninja, you must be able to see what others do not,'" he reminded, "I believe there is more to this parchment than meets the eye." Lloyd grinned smugly. Smiling at the green ninja, Nya ventured further down a tunnel to their right. After a few minutes her voice echoed back, "Guys? You might want to come see this…" Curious, her friends obeyed the summon.

"Is how quiet it is driving anyone else crazy?" Cole inquired, as they entered the next tunnel, "I mean, it's not like I miss him or anything, but without Jay here it's kind of… boring." Lloyd raised an eyebrow at him. Cole hesitated for a minute before blurting, "Okay, yeah! Fine! I miss him a lot. How about you?" Kai cocked his head. "Well, I don't necessarily miss his 24/7 blabbing, but I do miss the way he talks… all the time… Gah! All right, I miss him too!"

"Come on! Hurry," urged Nya, "This is important!" As Cole and Zane entered a spacious, rough-hewn room, they spotted Nya at the far end and hurried towards her. Kai's sister held up a heavy chain with an open manacle that was attached firmly to the wall. Another similar one lay nearby. "Chains?" Cole inquired. "Jay's chains," Nya corrected. "How do you know?" Kai had caught up. His sister gestured to a message chipped into the wall and replied, "That's totally his handwriting. Zane, can you make sure?" The nindroid nodded and flipped open the mini control panel on his arm. Scanning the message, he nodded in confirmation. Squinting at the characters, Lloyd read aloud, "Help—taken to Detri." He looked up. "It cuts itself off, like he was interrupted or something, but I'm pretty sure it was meant to say 'taken to Detrius peak.' The mountain on the map!"

After scouting around and finding nothing else, they concluded that Lloyd was right—they must've escaped into the mountains. "Let's go!" Zane called, taking a final glance around before hurrying out, back into the daylight. Shimmying deftly up the rope dangling from the Destiny's Bounty, he swung himself over the deck rail. The others quickly followed.

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"Lloyd? Can you come in here for a second?" Nya called from the control room. Grinning, the ten-year-old disappeared into the other room.

"Okay, which way do we go?" Kai's sister inquired, adjusting the monitor before her. Unrolling the map he had tucked in his sash, Lloyd consulted it before replying, "It looks like we head northeast for a few miles, until we pass the main mountain. It'll be hard to miss; it's covered in maroon vegetation. It isn't quite as tall as Detrius Peak, but plenty wide. Then we turn and go around it for a half a mile, which'll bring us to the base of the mountain we want." "Then we just follow it on up?" Nya confirmed. The green ninja nodded, then returned to the kitchen, tucking the map safely back inside his sash.

Nya approached the ninjas a half hour or so later, worry creasing her face. "We're here, but it's snowing so hard out there, and it's so cold, that the snowflakes are clumping together, and it looks like a giant snowball fight, but worse. Unless we want an irreparable engine, there's no way we're gonna be able to guide the Destiny's Bounty through that." "So it's on foot from here," Cole concluded. "That is certainly the most logical option at the moment," Zane agreed, tugging on his mask and pulling out his shurikens, "We'd probably better bring Jay's nunchucks, as well." Kai nodded and went to retrieve them.

Sensei Wu emerged from his quarters as Kai returned, mask in place. "Through much study, and consultation with the spirit smoke, I have discovered that Jay's, and presumably Piper's, captor, the one we refer to as the Dark Master, does not believe himself to be evil to the core. He seeks after a worthy cause, but is going about accomplishing it in the wrong ways. Unfortunately, the evil means he has selected now remain the only visible available option for his success. He is prepared to give his all for the success of his mission."

"Yeah, that's great, Sensei. The bad guy wants to win. That's totally normal. But he has Jay, and if we don't stop him…" Kai trailed off, and Zane finished the sentence for him, "Then I fear greatly for our brother's welfare." The sensei cocked his head skeptically, with an I'm-wiser-than-you-so-why-aren't-you-listening look, but returned to his room.

"C'mon! Let's go!" Lloyd urged, pulling his mask on. "No, let's not," Kai contradicted, grabbing the green ninja's arm, "You're staying here, with Sensei." "No way!" Lloyd protested, pulling free. Cole shook his head. "Sorry, Lloyd, but this is a little too dangerous." "But…" "No buts—you're staying here."

"I'm the only one who can read the map," he challenged. Kai's mouth dropped open to retort, but nothing came out and he stood there gaping like a fish out of water. "I am of the opinion that he should join us," Zane objected firmly, in a 'well, that settles it' tone. Kai scowled, but with no comeback there wasn't a lot he could do. Lloyd smirked.

"At least promise you'll hang back if it gets too bad," Cole stressed worriedly. Lloyd fingered his weapon. "We'll see."

**What thinks ye? Tell me in the review box below!**


	11. Chapter 10: It was for her

**K guys more story! **

"How much farther?" Piper cried, struggling against the driving wind and blinding snow. The master didn't reply. "You know where we're going?" Jay inquired, exhausted. "I have an idea as to where," she admitted, "But I'm not sure."

She stumbled, and Jay reached out to help her, forgetting the ties on his hands and watching her land on her knees in the snow. "Oops," she smiled faintly at Jay as she used his outstretched arm for balance. Her knees were soaked.

The master glanced back at them, then up at the rising moon. "Come," he commanded, gesturing toward a small cave surrounded by albescent snow.

"We will pass the night here," he instructed gruffly, summoning dry bits of wood from various places in the cave and lighting them on fire with an unconcerned wave of his hand. He did not remove their bonds.

Crouching in front of the fire, he stared into the depths of the flame silently. "Why did you bring us here?" Piper asked timidly. "It was for her," he murmured, to himself more than anything else. He looked surprised to have said it out loud. Jay paused before whispering, "Who?" His voice could barely be heard above the crackling of the fire. The Dark Master abruptly stood and stalked out of the cave.

Glancing at Piper, Jay shrugged and beckoned with a nod of his head, inching toward the entrance. "We won't get far," she mouthed. He shook his head and gestured again. "I know! We're not escaping yet. Come on!" he mouthed back, placing a finger to his lips.

As they approached the entrance to the cave, Piper and Jay slowed. The dark master was talking—either to himself or to someone who had yet to reveal himself.

"…All those years regretting what I did. Now that both replacements are in my possession, maybe I can make things right." Piper drew her eyebrows together as he growled, "This has taken far too long. I should have gotten the boy when I had the chance. There certainly wasn't formidable resistance. I just thought… Argh! Why did they have to have a split aura? Those twins have given me far too much trouble." He straightened from his seat on an outcropping of rock and turned towards the cave. The two eavesdroppers scrambled back into the cave, shivering, but it was too late—he'd already seen them. His face reddened with anger. "You dare!"

"I knew I shouldn't have left you loose in there," he spat upon returning to the cave, as he fastened one manacle to Jay's ankle and another to Piper's. The other ends he melted into a large boulder near the fire. "I don't want any funny business," he threatened with finality, tucking the slender key into one of his many pockets before exiting the cave again.

The two prisoners' eyes turned to each other. The question played on both their lips, but neither was bold enough to voice it. Finally, Piper broke the silence. "Do you think he was talking about…" "Us?" Jay finished, and Piper nodded. They sat in silence for a moment.

"I had… a dream. Last night. Sensei said he knew it must've been significant to come at that time. He said he'd try to figure out what it meant, but based on what the Dark Master said, I bet I already know." He quickly related the dream to Piper, omitting nothing. "It would make sense, if you were the one taken, and I was in the house. I could tell the presence by me was the Dark Master." Piper nodded slowly. "If it was at your, or possibly our, parents' junkyard, the two cries, one taken by the master, the other inside the house, could totally be us."

She looked down and bit her lip. "What's wrong?" Jay asked with concern. When she looked up, her eyes were brimming with tears. "All those years, I've fantasized about having a real family, but I had resigned myself to a fate with the Dark Master. Now that I find out that I might actually have one, it's kind of overwhelming. All my life, I've felt so alone." Her lip trembled. "Hey," Jay said, "C'mere, _sister_." He embraced her gently, and they sat there, watching the flames dance across the stony walls.

**Awww sibling love! XD**


	12. Chapter 11: It's worth a try

**Hi guys! Hope you love it-there's gonna be a lot of action in the next chapter XD**

"How far are we going?" Kai yelled, wind whipping his hair around in bizarre patterns. Nya turned around in her samurai mech to face him, nearly getting blown over in the process. "All the way!"

The four ninjas clung tightly to the mech. Nya was in the control seat, and Sensei Wu was seated comfortably in the extension Kai's sister had added for him.

Kai regripped and let his thoughts wander. Why would anyone even think of coming up here in the first place? The snow came down in torrents so thick he could hardly see his hand in front of his face, let alone navigate to the top, and keep a constant lookout for Jay and Piper to boot. He didn't know how Nya did it. Then again, the protection of actually being inside the mech must have helped. Whatever the Dark Master was probably pretty bad.

The red ninja pursed his lips. What had the sensei been talking about when he said the Dark Master was working towards a 'worthy cause?' What worthy cause involved kidnapping people and taking them to the top of a incredibly snowy mountain?

Nya was saying something. "What?" he yelled over the rush of the storm. "I said, do you see that?" she repeated. Kai squinted, brushing clumps of snow from his hair and face with his free hand. "You mean that… is that a light?" "I see it!" Cole exclaimed, "Are we going to check it out?" "It does seem like the most agreeable option," Zane commented, glancing at Sensei Wu for a nod of affirmation.

As they got closer, it was clear that someone had build a fire in the cave, emanating light. Everyone's hopes shot up. Releasing the mech, Kai landed on his feet and inched towards the cave. Peering inside, he could hardly believe his luck. There, nestled in the back of the cave, were Jay and Piper! The cave appeared to be otherwise unoccupied, and a small fire lit the space.

"Psst! Piper, Jay!" Kai called in a low voice. Their heads shot up in unison. "Kai?" Piper whispered hopefully. The ninja of fire ventured further in so they could see him. A wide grin spread across her face, but it disappeared as she warned, "You need to leave! He'll be back any second!" "Well, by then we'll all be long gone," Kai replied confidently. "Come on!"

Striding over to where the two were tied, he sliced easily through the ropes on their wrists. Piper massaged her wrists and grinned wryly. "We're not gonna get far with these," she informed him, holding up a chain attached to her ankle that Kai had failed to notice. The red ninja grimaced at the heavy iron coils.

"Do you think the mech can handle them?" Jay suggested, gesturing to where Nya was climbing out of her machine. She shrugged, grinned, relieved to see him safe, and replied, "It's worth a try!" She returned to her post and directed the mech towards the back of the cave.

With the mech and all four remaining ninjas straining at the chains, and with Jay and Piper standing as far to the side as possible, a weak link in the center slowly split open, first on Jay's, then Piper's. Each still had an iron band on their ankles, but at least neither were still tied to the rock.

"Okay, everyone stick together. The way out is right around the corner…" Kai said, leading the way out of the cave… and coming face to face with the Dark Master.

"Who dares invade my-" he boomed, then stopped as his face morphed into a panicked expression, catching sight of Jay and Piper fleeing towards the entrance. "No!" Swinging his arm aggressively, he lit a wall of fire to thwart their escape. The three foremost, Jay, Kai and Piper, careened over it, but as the flames crept higher, Kai realized that the others were still trapped inside.

"Kai!" he heard Nya cry, "Escape! Get out of here while you still can!" "But-" "NOW!" He stumbled backwards, then, with a worried glance at where the Dark Master was fighting has way through his own flames, not seeming to care that his cloak was blazing, the three escapees disappeared into the night.

They ran until all three had stitches in their sides, then collapsed heavily into the snow, panting. Piper's eyebrows were singed. The cave was out of sight. "What do… we do… now?" Jay asked, gulping in the cold air greedily, "I think we need some answers."

Kai stood, then flopped down on his back into the snow. "We can't go back alone. That guy has some major firepower! He can blast us to ashes with a wave of his hand!" The red ninja waved his own hand to emphasize his point, then rolled over to face Piper. "And you! Do you have any idea what I've been going through? I thought you were dead!"

Piper winced. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I guess I owed you an explanation. I thought I was just going to freefall all the way to the bottom, but my master had other plans and caught me on a slab of rock." She paused and rubbed her shoulder tenderly, then continued, "He locked me in a room so he could deal with me later. When he came back, he heated up my temper and I blew up at him. I was sure after that, I was done for, but he just walked out. He came in a few hours later and chained me in that room we were in before coming to Detrius Peak. Did you send the bird?" she asked. Kai pursed his lips and replied, "The falcon? I guess Zane might have."

She nodded. "Jay started to scratch out a message to you guys in the wall, but it was slow going, and we were interrupted before he finished. I take it you got the fragment, since you came." Kai nodded, relieved that his stress hadn't been entirely for naught. "Now what? We need to get some help from somewhere."

"You say we need help, I say we need answers?" Jay said, more of a statement than a question. Kai nodded, and Jay grinned confidently. "I know just the place."

**Can I just say, I love writing? XD ptyl! (Post to you later)**


	13. Chapter 12: This ends now

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been forever since I posted; my family and I went on vacation, but I had to come home early for school, and I left my iPod (with my story on it DX) with my mom so she could use it for maps and stuff, and I just got it back today! Again, sorry for the wait, but I promise you, it's worth it! This is one of my fav chapters!**

"Your parent's junkyard?" Kai voiced in confusion, as they approached the blinking sign that read, 'Ed and Edna's scrap and junk.' Jay glanced at Piper and smiled. "Our parents' junkyard." The red ninja cocked his head, then realization dawned. "Oh, yeah! Sensei said that you two were siblings, but how did you find out?" Piper grinned as she explained, "We overheard the master talking, then when he chained us in the cave and left, we managed to put together a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together. That's why we're here: to find the rest of the puzzle. And maybe some help." Kai nodded, not quite as jealous as he had been when he saw the two hugging earlier-it had just been a sibling hug. "Sensei came to the same conclusion. Anyway, shall we?" he gestured towards the junkyard. They nodded and approached the RV that was still sitting in the far corner of the yard. The lights were on.

Piper slowed as the door drew near. "What if… what if we're wrong?" Jay snickered somewhat forcefully. "Piper, there's just way too much evidence for us to be wrong. The Dark Master said so, Sensei said so. And we look absolutely alike. What more do we need?" The red ninja nodded encouragingly. Piper smiled weakly but with renewed assurance, then lifted a closed fist to the door and knocked lightly.

The door flew open. A cheerful, older woman stood in the doorway. A pair of bright red glasses rested on the tip of her nose, and her gray-streaked auburn hair was swept up in a loose bun. Despite her merry disposition, worry lines creased her forehead. "Jay! What a surprise!" She stepped forward and hugged him tightly, then excitedly turned to face inside the RV. "Ed!" she called, "Jay's here! He's come to visit!" A man with snowy white hair and faded overalls came into view. "Son! You came! We haven't seen you in forever!" "Dad, I visited barely _two weeks ago_!" the blue ninja protested through his father's embrace. "I love you guys, but we have a major crisis on our hands and we need some answers." His mother ignored him and took Piper's hand. "Ooh! You brought a girl! Wait, what about that girl, Nya? She was such a sweetheart!" Jay turned bright red. "_Mo-om_! I still very much like Nya! This is a friend." Jay's mother chuckled and whispered to Piper, "That's what they all say, isn't it?" "Mom, please! We need your help!" That got her attention, and she turned back to face him. "Okay, so what kind of crisis are you in this time, sweetie?" He sighed, relieved to get back on track.

"Okay, I'll explain more in a minute, but first of all, I need you to level with me. Did I have a sister?" His dad looked down, and his mom bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "Oh, Jay." Jay took his mother's hand. "Tell me," he urged, encouraged by the sudden mood change. "She was with us for only a week," she whispered. His dad looked up. "We were out working late one night. You were in the house, but your sister, Piper was her name, would not go to sleep, so we had her out with us. Then, as we were about to return inside, a pair of daggers came out of nowhere." He fingered a small scar on his left cheek. "That's where that scar came from?" Jay exclaimed, "I always used to ask what it was from, but you'd never tell!" His father nodded and continued, "One caught on Piper's blanket and pulled her out of Edna's arms. It seemed like a shadow caught her. It must've been something of substance, though, because before it left, taking Piper with it, it stuck us to the RV with more daggers. Then it left. We never saw our daughter again."

Realization dawned as Jay murmured, "So that's why you were always so obsessive over me!" His mother nodded and replied sadly, "We couldn't bear the thought of losing our only remaining child. Not after what happened." Then Jay stepped away crossly. "How come you never told me I had a twin?" His father looked down. "That was the last time we saw Piper. We had assumed that she was gone forever."

"But she's not!" Kai burst out, pushing Piper into the light. "Mr. and Mrs. Walker, meet Piper―your daughter."

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Once the initial shock wore off, and once the tears, the hugs, and the explanations were through, a very pleased Jay turned serious as he summarized the others' predicament, and how the Dark Master was holding them captive. Still with one arm around Piper, Jay's mother glanced at her husband. "Do you think it's time?" she asked softly. He nodded, and she flipped on the lights throughout the property, then followed as he led Kai, Jay and Piper to the corner of the junkyard. Whisking away a maroon blanket and consequentally sending up a fine layer of dust, he revealed a machine about the size of a breadbox, sitting on a small workbench. "There's the solution to your problem," he announced proudly. "Umm… what, exactly, is it?" Jay asked. 'We're not actually sure," he confessed, "It was brought to us by a person who claimed it was used in the final battle of the first Spinjitzu master you told us about to help banish the evil in Ninjago." "And you still don't know what it does?" "We were about to find out, about seventeen years ago, but then Piper was kidnapped and it was too painful to continue. But now that she's back…" he fondled Piper's head lovingly, and she smiled. "It should be of some use, if we can just figure out what it can do…" He reached over and flipped it on with a whirring sound.

"So… here we are again." A malicious voice dripping with contempt made all five spin to face him. "The two kids, the two parents. The ninja is new, but of course, nothing we can't handle, hmm?"

The Dark Master was perched atop the RV, eyes smouldering with hatred. "Jay…" "Not now, Mom!" Jay said, not moving his eyes from the master. "Jay!" she repeated, voice trembling, "That's him. The one who took Piper." "I know, Mom," he replied out of the corner of his mouth, slowly reaching for the nunchucks on his back. As he pulled them out, the master's face went taunt with rage. He quickly created a roiling ball of fire and thrust it towards them. Piper screamed, but when the molten ball was within a few yards of the whirring machine, it fizzled into nothing. Trying it again had the same results, and the master quickly deduced that he was wasting his time. "Why do they still have that Anti Magic Shield?" he growled, almost to himself. Then he raised his voice. "Magic isn't my only means of subduing an enemy!" he announced angrily, "I guess we'll just have to finish this the old fashioned way." He whipped out a pair of gleaming sai.

"This ends now."

**Yeahahaha go Dark Master! How do you think this will end up? Ptyl!**


	14. Chapter 13: Nothing to see

**Hi everyone! Umm… not a ton is going on right now, so I'll let u get on with the story!**

"Great. Now we're stuck here indefinitely," Cole muttered, clenching his fists and glancing around the cave. The Dark Master had confiscated Nya's mech, but left them with their golden weapons, positive they couldn't possibly use them to escape and worried about what possessing all four might do.

"Hey! I have an idea…" Lloyd's face lit up. Nudging the coil of chains to the side with his foot, the green ninja spun into his viridescent spinjitzu tornado, hoping the force would break the iron links, but when he snapped out of the whirlwind, Cole chuckled. The ten-year-old had the metal chain wrapped several times around his waist. Helping Lloyd unwind himself, Cole asked, "Now what?"

"Now," Zane announced, "We get out of here!" He pulled a shuriken from his sash and used the tip to carefully pick the lock on his ankle. Soon, it creaked open, and he proceeded to free his companions. Nya grinned. "Never again will I underestimate the power of one shuriken!" The others nodded, and after extinguishing the dying flames, they all darted outside.

"Zane! Which way did they go?" Cole asked. The nindroid bent down and traced an indent in the snow with his finger. He looked up and pointed. "It seems they ran straight that way."

Whistling sharply, he turned to face them, "I've called the falcon, but I'm not sure how well it will be able to navigate through the storm. We'll have to start following our friends and hope it can find us."

Trudging through the deep snow was exhausting. The storm seemed to worsen by the minute, quickly covering the footprints they left behind them and erasing the already faint trail they were following. After what seemed like forever, they had to admit it.

They were hopelessly lost.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

They stood there for a minute, glaring at each other: good at evil, evil at good. Then the Dark Master pounced from the RV, hurling his sai at Kai and landing in a crouch on the ground. Kai's eyes widened. Dropping his sword, the red ninja twisted his body to avoid the blades, then reached around and skillfully caught them before they slammed into the machine that the Dark Master had identified as an Anti Magic Shield.

"Okay... that was a little too close," Jay muttered, as the master scowled and pulled out another pair of sai. Kai handed the first pair of sai to Piper and retrieved his sword. Raising his nunchucks, the blue ninja started Spinjitzu, waiting for a crackling blue tornado to engulf him.

But nothing happened.

He tried again, with the same results. "Why is our Spinjitzu not working!?" Jay panicked, protesting, "I'm not_ that_ out of practice!" Kai shook his head. "It must be the AMS," he surmised. "AMS?" the blue ninja cocked his head. "AMS-Anti Magic Shield," Kai clarified, indicating three faint letters inscribed on the machine, "We'd need to be out of range to be able to do it." Jay groaned. "Of course we would find that out now!"

"I'm still here," the Dark Master reminded. He threw his sai at Jay and Piper, catching each by the sleeve and pinning them firmly to the ground. With the two he needed to protect out of the way, he focused on Kai. Skillfully avoiding Mr. and Mrs. Walker, who were edging away, towards the RV, the Dark Master started hurling sai at the red ninja.

Raising his sword, Kai deflected the three-pronged daggers jerkily. Each time one clanged metallicly against his sword, the force pushed him a step backwards.

"Where's he getting... all the sai?" Kai panted, expecting Piper to provide an answer like she usually did, but was met by silence. He paused to glance around for her-she was no longer pinned on the ground next to Jay. A scrap of her sleeve was all that remained. Now she stood silently behind the Dark Master, wanting to stop him but seeming unsure of herself.

Suddenly, Kai's eyes refocused on another sai, soaring towards him. Distracted, he slashed his blade upwards, but, disoriented, it hit the sai at an awkward angle, sending it spinning. As the handle forcefully slammed into the side of his head, he crashed to the ground, eyes unfocused. The Dark Master grinned triumphantly.

Piper's eyes flared, and taking an angry step forward, she shoved the Dark Master roughly. He landed facedown-now in the mud, but more importantly, now within range of the AMS. The sai barrage stopped.

"No one messes with Kai," she growled, "Not on my watch."

Kai shook his head to clear it. The Dark Master had magic sai? No wonder they were so hard to deflect! Then he realized something else-the master was in range of the AMS. "That must've been what stopped the dagger production," he murmured groggily.

Leaping to his feet, still a little dizzy, he darted forward and pinned the Dark Master's hands behind his back before he could lunge angrily at Piper. The red ninja smiled at her. "And no one messes with Piper. Not on my watch." She turned red and giggled.

The Dark Master struggled viciously against Kai's iron grip, but without magic, the red ninja's strength was superior. As Piper helped Jay yank the sai out of his sleeve, she was surprised. "That was a lot harder than I thought!" Jay stood and rolled his shoulder. "Being enchanted probably helped it stick. Sorry I didn't help more." Piper punched his shoulder lovingly. "Don't apologize for that. You were pinned to the ground!" He shrugged and replied, "Well, so were you!" Piper grinned smugly. "True, but unlike you, I got free."

"Umm... guys, I hate to break up the bantering, but now that we stopped the bad guy, what do we do with him?" Kai had managed to tie the Dark Master's wrists with his belt, and now looked to the twins for advice.

"Okay, everyone, stand clear, nothing to see, nothing to see!" An electronically magnified voice blared. A blue-clad, silve-haired policeman pushed past Kai and snapped a pair of handcuffs on the Dark Master, in place of the belt, which Kai promptly retrieved and tied back around his waist.

As the policeman started the Dark Master towards the van on the edge of the junkyard, where more police were waiting, Kai stepped forward and raised a hand. "Umm... Officer? Excuse me, but you might not want to..." It was too late. The instant they were out of range of the AMS, the handcuffs dissolved and the master disappeared, leaving nothing behind but a bewildered policeman and the faint echo of an evil cackle.

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"The bird," Piper murmured. Kai cocked his head in confusion and asked, "What bird?" "The bird that was watching us, back in the tunnel system," she replied, pointing to the large, chocolatey brown fowl gliding towards them. "Oh, the falcon!" Jay exclaimed, holding an arm out for the robotic bird to land on. "Zane must've sent it. Where are the others?" he asked the falcon. In response, it glided towards an old, white, detached car door, leaning against a pile of junk, and projected an image onto it.

The picture showed Zane, Cole, Lloyd, and Nya. The view was slightly obscured by torrents of snow, but the message was clear. "They're lost," Kai muttered, "C'mon, let's go find them. When the Dark Master comes back-" "You mean_ if _the Dark Master comes back," Jay corrected. Kai rolled his eyes. "If, when, whatever. If he comes back, we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"Oh! Can we help?" Mr. Walker volunteered. His wife nodded enthusiastically. Jay winced. "No, mom and dad, I don't..." he trailed off. Piper glanced at her brother and finished for him. "What he means is to say, 'We needed someone to watch for any trouble in Ninjago city.' Things have been really active down there lately, and as Kai said, we'll need all the help we can get. We wouldn't want anyone there to be affected by the stuff going on up here." Jay pursed his lips as his parents nodded eagerly. Piper had offered a way to keep them busy. "Just as long as you'll be careful," he relented, "I don't want to see you getting hurt."

"Okay, let's go!" Kai beckoned, "Are we taking the AMS?" Jay nodded vigorously and turned it off, tucking it in the satchel his mother handed him. "It's actually pretty light," he commented. Kai snickered. "Yeah, if you're gonna be the one carrying it, let's hope it's light," he joked, earning a friendly punch in the arm from the disgruntled blue ninja.

"C'mon," Piper urged, striding out of the junkyard, "We've got some ninja to save."

**Go good! Haha but really, what will the ninja do now? where did the DM (dark master) go? And what will he do next? Find out next time, on Return of Sarok! XD**


	15. Chapter 14: I know that place

****Hey guys sorry this ones kinda short, it'll be longer next time. Oh, and we're getting closer to the final battle!****

"Poof? He just... 'poofed?'"

The ninjas, Nya and Piper were seated around the table on the Destiny's bounty, discussing the issue at hand. "Yeah-one minute he was the next minute he was gone, without a trace," Jay replied to Cole's incredulous restatement. "So, what do we do?"

Lloyd held up his hands. "I still have absolutely no idea what's actually going on here," he announced. "None of us do," Zane replied gravely, "I am convinced there is far more to the situation than we have knowledge of."

Kai stood abruptly. "Well, we can't just sit here and wait! Nya, can you see if you can find the Dark Master?" His sister nodded and darted to the control panel. "Bridge, give me a sonar sweep of Ninjago," she commanded, fingers flying as she rapidly entered information into the database. While it was loading, she turned to face the others. "What do we do once we find him?" Jay pulled out the AMS and hefted it carefully before sliding it to the center of the table. "I think this can help, somehow. I totally agree with Zane, though-something's off about this whole situation."

A beep, emanating from the control panel, informed them that the Dark Master had been found. Leaning closer to the map that popped up, Nya reported, "It looks like he's in... is that Jimanuki village?" Pressing a button in the top left corner of the keyboard, she zoomed in on the tiny village. "He's in there," she pointed to an older, smallish house with a tiny yard that was overgrown with weeds. Dandelions sprouted from cracks in the sidewalk, and winding strands of morning glory clung to the sides of the house. "I can't seem to get a closer view-there's a shield around it. But he's definitely in there."

Piper's head shot up. "I know that place," she said unexpectedly. "The master used to go there all the time. He has some kind of an inner connection to it. I've heard him talking to himself in there, but he never let me in." "So basically, we'd better go check it out," Jay surmised, grinning at his newfound sister.

Nya smiled grimly. "Well, guys, if we're gonna go, then we'd better get going."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Cheek pressed against the smooth wooden floor, he drank in his new surroundings greedily, though he'd been here a thousand times or more. His breathing was haggard and irregular, and his limbs were drained of all energy. Trying to rise proved fruitless as his legs collapsed beneath him. He lay there for a few minutes, regaining his strength.

Teleporting himself across such a yawning distance was substantially harder than teleporting a small, inanimate object across the room. Having his energy drawn upon whenever he used magic was normal, but no magic had ever sapped his strength like it did now.

He shook his head slowly. Looking back, he should have isolated the twins, then incinerated the rest of the interfering ninnies, but in the spur of the moment, teleporting away and hoping it would work had seemed like the best option, even though he had never done it before. Now, he was weak and exhausted. Now, he was still no closer to saving the one he loved best. And the little time he had was running out.

****Aw man, I just love toying with villains' emotions! Finally, we get a clue to the Dark Master's ulterior motives. Who is he trying to save? Tell me what you think! Ptyl!****


	16. Chapter 15: The Dark Master

**Hiyo everyone! So sorry I haven't posted a new chapter for like a week, I kept going to do it and things kept popping up! Haha me and my hectic life... I hope you like the chapter! :D**

"So… this is it? The Dark Master's evil hideout is in this dump?" Jay exclaimed. Cole rolled his eyes. "Remember where you were born, Jay, and then say that again. Come on."

The front door creaked open ominously. Peeking inside cautiously, the six teenagers filled the entry way as they stared at the immaculately spotless, yet dusty, house. "Guys! I can't see," Lloyd whined. "Lloyd, it's not that dark in here," Kai chided, craning his neck in effort to pierce the dim light that hung over the desolately bare home.

Muttering under his breath that that wasn't what he had meant, the green ninja elbowed past his companions, further into the house. "Well, let's go," he urged, locating a small staircase at the far end of the room and darting towards it. "Lloyd!" Nya hissed, "Come back here! We don't know what's up there!" Lloyd rolled his eyes in protest, but he stopped. "So… that's why we go up there? There's nothing on this floor! The Dark Master is probably up there!"

Kai's sister sighed in exasperation and approached him. "My point exactly—what if he is waiting to ambush us? One lone ninja would be the perfect opportunity. He'd pick us off one by one." Lloyd scowled, but he understood the reasoning behind the argument and fell back with the others.

Tiptoeing stealthily up the stairs, they winced each time a loose board creaked. Jay instinctively reached down and flipped on the AMS. "I'd better go in first," Piper whispered, and the others made no protest as she squeezed to the front.

Pushing the door open, Piper glanced around. The upstairs was one connected space—a cheerful playroom. The walls were painted pastel pink, with toy chests backed up against them. A lacy bed with an airy canopy rested in the far end of the room, and seated on the bed, head in hands, was the Dark Master.

Piper's foot caught on a scuff in the carpet, and she tripped and fell, eyes still glued to the master. His head shot up as she hit the floor, his eyes red and cheeks streaked with something wet. Tears.

Piper was stunned. Her master, the hardest, harshest, most despicable man she had ever met, was crying. Or had been recently.

Seeing her staring, he quickly drew a sleeve across his face to dry it. The ninjas, hearing the thump from Piper tripping, scrambled into the room, weapons out. "What are you doing here?" Kai said, in an accusatory tone. "I might be asking you the same question," he snapped back, in a vain effort to hide the despondent emotion on his face. "We've got you cornered," Kai informed him, drawing closer, "Resisting would be unwise."

The Dark Master looked ready for a fight, but as he realized the truth of Kai's statement, his shoulders sank. He was weak, unable to use his magical nor physical strength. "You win. I'll answer your questions. What do you want to know?" "To know what you want," Jay shot back. "Why you kidnapped Piper, then later, me. What's on top of that mountain. Where in the world we are. Being the situational mastermind, you should know what questions we have." "Yeah," Cole cut in, "You can't just abduct one of our family and expect everyone to be willy-nilly about it."

"Let me tell you my story—it will explain much. Do not interrupt." The ninjas lowered their raised weapons, though they didn't relax. The master took a deep breath and began his tale.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Long ago, far before any of you were born, there was a man. He lived in the village of Jimanuki." He paused, and Jay asked, "You?" "No," the master retorted shortly. "I was a very young child when he turned. This man, Sarok, was not… normal. He had consorted with an ancient evil entity, and over many, many years, he became very powerful, second only to an evil that had been banished from Ninjago years before, known as the Overlord. Extremely skilled in dark magic, Sarok set upon wreaking havoc in Ninjago.

"This went on for years, with none brave enough to stop him, until one day, one man had had enough. Though he had a beloved daughter at home, his concern for his fellow villagers overcame any worries that he might have had about never coming back home to her. He tracked down Sarok and demanded a confrontation." His face darkened. "The man was foolish enough to agree to the limitation that it had to be atop a neighboring mountain."

"The fateful day arrived: the day either one or the other would rise in triumph—not both. The villager had begun to doubt himself, the coward that he was, even amid the relieved encouragement of his neighbors. However, it was his daughter who finally got him to fulfill his duty. They had a horrible argument, and finally the father angrily stormed away to the mountain, more to distance himself from her than anything else."

"Sarok was waiting for him. Disgruntled from his heated argument, the villager rashly demanded that he stop his evil ways and leave forever. Sarok was evidently unimpressed and turned to go, considering himself gracious to leave the man with his life.

However, the man couldn't stand to see yet another back turned on him—not after what had just taken place between him and his daughter. He got in Sarok's face and threatened him if he didn't stop, but Sarok only laughed and forced him to the ground. Sprawled in the mud, the man's only horrified thoughts as he stared at Sarok's pointed finger were that he was about to be fried to a crisp."

The Dark Master furrowed his brow, lost in reminiscent thought. He trailed off, leaving the ninjas, Nya and Piper staring, wide eyed. "And?" Kai burst out impatiently. The master shook his head and continued. "He gave up and closed is eyes, ready to meet his end, when someone cried, 'No!', followed by a crackling sound. When he reopened his eyes, he saw a pillar of ice directly in front of him. It started to snow. To his desperate grief, it was his beloved daughter who had leapt in front of him to take Sarok's spell, frozen behind a thick layer of magical ice. Sarok was nowhere to be seen." His voice cracked.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Jay asked in wonder. The master nodded slowly. "It has never stopped snowing since that day: the mountain's manifestation of the great evil that had been committed that day." Then he blinked hard and glared at the blue ninja. "I believe I requested you don't interrupt," he said coolly. "But… what does all this have to do with Jay and Piper?" Zane inquired. "I wasn't finished yet," the master snapped. "It took me months to track Sarok back down. Once I found him, it took some strong—ahem—persuasion, which may or may not have involved magic, but I got him to tell me how to free her." "Did you get her back?" Cole asked, in a sudden burst of compassion for his enemy. His face darkened. "I haven't yet, and now it is clear that I probably never will." "Why not?" Jay asked in concern. The master gave a short, mirthless laugh. "She was right," he muttered, "You do care. Fine, I'll tell you. Do what you want when I'm done, but please hear me out." He cleared his throat nervously.

"When I finally got Sarok to talk, he told me everything I needed to know. He said I had to acquire someone of equal power to my daughter, and trade them. He said the spell would remain potent, but it was possible to transfer it. The target had to be exactly as powerful, and exactly the same age, as my daughter was at the instant she was frozen. Hence my need for you two." "Why two? Wouldn't you need just one?" Jay asked, "And why us? Couldn't just anyone have worked?" The master scowled. "My daughter was an extremely powerful person. She was an expert in white magic and had incomprehensible physical stamina. When the two of you were born, you had a split aura. Only by combining your auras, as twins, would enable you to become the standins. You are a powerful pair."

Piper shook her head. "Powerful? Yeah, right. Jay, maybe, but me? I'm nobody." The master smiled at her. "Piper, if you only understood what you are truly capable of… You are strong and skilled, but more importantly, you have a sturdy background in magic." "Magic?" "Yes, magic. And you have a good heart, like she had. But I differ from the subject at hand. In exactly twelve minutes and seventeen seconds, you will be exactly as old as she was. It's too late."

"No, it's not," Jay protested, glancing at Piper, "There has to be another way." The master shook his head glumly. "Even if there was, there's no way we could get back to the mountain in time. Besides, Sarok's the one who cast the spell, and he told me that there was, in essence, only one way to fix her." "What if he lied?" Cole challenged. The master sighed. "You just won't give up, will you?" he murmured. "That's why I like you. Very well, we will go to the mountain. But I promise you, nothing will work. I've tried everything there is to try." "Not everything," Kai said firmly. "We'll find a way."

**:'D Go ninja go!**


	17. Chapter 16: Frozen

**XDXDXD this is my all time favorite chapter! Sorry it took a while, but I hope it was worth the wait!**

As soon as they were back on the Destiny's Bounty, Nya darted to the control room, with the others on her tail. "I've been working on a new protection gizmo for the ship," she explained, fingers flying over the keyboard. "It's not perfected yet, but we should be able to make it up the mountain, at least." She finished typing and dramatically hit a large blue button on the dashboard.

Glancing out the window, Kai did a double take. "Wow!" In the span of only a few seconds, the entire ship had been covered in a sleek, steel armor.

"Whoa! That is so cool!" Jay complimented enthusiastically. Nya grinned at him, then turned to the computer. "All systems go," she muttered seriously, "We have ten minutes, tops. Let's get this show on the road." With that, she nodded, and the blue ninja slapped a glowing red button in front of the screen. The engines fired up, and at top speed, the Destiny's Bounty shot towards Detrius Peak.

Kai leaned against the wall, deep in thought. His earlier resolve had abandoned him. How were they going to free the master's daughter when they reached the peak? Melt her? How did they know the master wouldn't just grab Jay and Piper once they arrived and do whatever he was going to do? He couldn't lose her. Not again. The red ninja sighed and rubbed his temples wearily. The master could be lying. But what motives would he have to do so?

Sensei had once explained the final battle of the first spinjitzu master in creating of Ninjago, saying that all uncooperative evil was banished. Kai supposed that the Sarok character could have consorted with some of the more cooperative evil, or he could have traveled to the place where it was banished. The Dark Master's sudden docility had thrown Kai off track, unsure which story to believe.

The Destiny's Bounty jerked to a stop as it approached the summit of Detrius Peak, knocking Kai off balance. "Wow, sis," he complimented, getting to his feet, "That armor sure works well. I was expecting lots of rocking, or noise at lease, but I didn't even notice when we did pass through the storm." Jay snorted as Nya beamed. "Just like how you didn't even notice when I bounced this off your arm?" he teased, holding up a crumpled ball of paper.

"You really were in another world," Cole grinned, "Thinking about anyone special?" He glanced slyly at Piper, who was helping Nya get their bearings. Kai's face immediately flushed. "No! I mean, I wasn't… I just…" He bit his lip nervously. "Okay, maybe a little bit… do you think she likes me?" he burst out in desperation. The ninjas surrounding him nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, of course! You can't tell?" Cole gushed, "Wow, you've really got it bad!"

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The Destiny's Bounty gently touched down to the snowy peak. "We have not five minutes," the Dark Master muttered gravely.

All snickers about Kai and Piper were extinguished as the group followed him to a large outcropping of ice near the ship. A face stared back at them from it, determined but delicate feminine features with a touch of angry defiance, frozen forever within the ice. "Ah, my dear, sweet Topi," the master murmured, caressing her frosty cheek. "Beautiful, as always." He turned to face the ninjas. "We must hurry."

"So, Jakob Conti, we meet again," a deep, sultry voice sneered, resounding over the icy landscape. The master paled. "It's him," he stammered, taking several steps back.

Then a hard light entered his eyes and he squared his shoulders, taking a step in the direction of the voice. "Be on your way, Sarok," he commanded, "I come for my daughter and none else. You will depart immediately."

As a dark figure emerged from the swirling snow, it gave a short laugh, devoid of any trace of mirth. "Alas, my dear Jakob, I must refuse your invitation, for you have brought me just what I needed. In fact, exactly what I have needed for over twenty years!"

"And that would be…"

"Ninja, you fool! Or more specifically, their strength, their vitality. And you, and only you, Jakob, are in my way. But not for long." Grinning malevolently, Sarok clenched his raised fist, and with a few murmured words, the master rose into the air, desperately clawing at his throat. "Can't… breath…" he choked out, as Sarok tightened his outstretched fist.

His face was turning blue by the time Lloyd stopped staring long enough to pick up a clod of ice and hurl it forcefully in Sarok's direction. Sarok's other hand shot up and caught it deftly. It wasn't much, but it distracted him from the Dark Master, who fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Why?" he whispered hoarsely, "Why are you doing this to me? My friends? My family?" Sarok glared at Lloyd, then at the master. "You, of all people, should know. Power! Is not the ultimate goal of nearly every villainous mastermind, excepting yourself, to gain power?" he spat with contempt. "These young ninja present the gateway I must take you conquer this despicable land!" The master looked down, painting a picture of defeat. "Sixty seconds," he murmured hopelessly, sinking to his knees. Sarok stepped forward victoriously, drinking in the triumph of breaking his enemy.

That was his mistake.

The instant he was within reach, the Dark Master leapt to his feet and shoved Sarok to the ground, reciting a string of nonsensical words under his breath. Sarok froze, hate smoldering in his eyes. "A simple binding spell," the master gasped, "He can break it in seconds. And seconds are all we have."

Slipping his hand into his pocket, Jay nodded in understanding. "Piper, are you still good?" She nodded rigidly. "As I'll ever be," she replied bravely. "Master, the words, please? To transfer the spell?" His head shot up in shock. "Are you sure?" "Yes! Cast the spell, already!" she yelled over the clamor of the worsening storm.

The master paused as Kai rushed forward. "What are you doing?" Piper bit her lip. "I know this sounds insane, but I think we have a way around the spell. We're going to free the master's daughter the way he planned and hope our plan works." "But… what if it doesn't?" he whispered. "It will," she murmured, "Don't you trust me?"

Kai felt a lump rise in his throat. "Does it matter?" "Yes, Kai, it does," she said softly. He nodded. "Then yes. I do." "I knew you would. It'll work out, don't worry." "Oh, I'll worry, no matter what. But do what you must," Kai replied in a strained voice. She nodded once. He paused nervously, then grabbed her hand. "Piper, I… I hope it works, because… I really like you." She smiled, then hugged him tightly. "And I really like you," she murmured into his shoulder.

"Five seconds," the master warned. The moment ended and Piper pulled away. "It'll work," she reassured, a third time. Then Jay yelled, "Now!" The master repeated another string of nonsense words, and the ice surrounding his daughter melted. She fell to her knees, and the master darted towards his daughter. Simultaneously, ice started gathering at Jay and Piper's feet, traveling up their legs, past their clenched hands, past their squared shoulders.

Then all was ice.

**8O gasp! Can u see why i love this chapter? What love! What sacrifice! Whatever shall we do? ;D Ptyl!**


	18. Chapter 17: So this is it?

**Hey guys final chapter! Hope u love it XD!**

"No!" Kai cried, rushing forward. An instant later, Sarok was on his feet. "You truly believe you can best me? I have been around for hundreds of years. One does not simply 'beat me.'"

Kai's anger flared. "That may be true," he growled, "But we are not 'just one.'" Everyone joined hands into an intimidating circle. "We are a team. We are together. And we _will_ beat you. C'mon, guys—let's do this." The others nodded solemnly.

"Earth!" "Fire!" "Ice!" Each ninja called his element from within a scintillating tornado. Sarok laughed darkly. "You truly think your measly spinjitzu will stop me?" He stomped his foot against the frozen ground, sending a powerful ripple through the earth that knocked the ninja off their feet. "I'm almost glad he did that," Lloyd muttered to Kai, "Spinjitzu doesn't feel right without Jay." "Not now, Lloyd," Kai warned, "Spread out, guys. Let's give this guy a taste of defeat!"

The battle wasn't going well, however. No matter how fast or forceful the ninjas were, Sarok remained with the upper hand. "He must have… magical… reinforcements," Zane panted, after Sarok countered yet another strike.

Suddenly, a long tongue of lightning shot out of nowhere, striking Sarok forcefully and knocking him backwards. "Jay?" Cole exclaimed in wonder. A figure emerged from the torrents of snow, shaking their head. "It's Topi, actually," she introduced herself, blowing a wisp of curly, straw-colored hair out of her face and setting her teeth. "Looks like I arrived just in time," she muttered, pulling a small throwing star from her belt and hurling it smoothly at Sarok. It collided with a sliver of ice Sarok sent towards her, and both shattered.

"Wait—you're the Dark Master's daughter?" Cole asked, mouth agape as he sidestepped a stream of Sarok-sent fire. "Dark Master?" she repeated, "My father is Jakob Conti. Topi Conti, at your service." She bowed playfully, simultaneously avoiding a set of daggers as they flew over her head. "You don't happen to know how to beat this guy, do you?" Lloyd yelled. "Nope," she replied, "But I can hold him if you know how." Yet even with Topi on their side, things sank from bad to worse. The ninja were losing.

Without warning, a large, S-shaped blade hurtled out of the air, connecting solidly with the back of Sarok's head and knocking him out, if only for the time being.

"Need a little help?" Nya called from inside her samurai suit. She held up a hand and the S-blade flew back to it. Kai turned desperately to her. "Nya! Do you know what they were planning?" His sister shook her head, knowing instinctively that he was talking about Jay and Piper. "Oh, I shouldn't have let them do it!"

"They would've done it whether or not you approved," Nya comforted. Kai felt his eyes pool with tears and blinked them back quickly. "So this is it? There's nothing we can do?" Topi stepped forward, examining the magically frozen twins. "It doesn't look like it," she sighed. Jakob came up behind her. "Not unless you do what I did," he agreed. His daughter frowned at him. "I still need a full explanation later," she informed him. He looked down.

Then his head shot up and he cried, "Topi, look out!" She ducked instinctively, and a flash of dark light shot over her head, slamming into the ice-encased siblings. They started to glow, but the enraged Sarok took no notice. "I should have dealt with you long ago," he growled angrily, forming a massive ball of energy in one hand. With the other hand he sent a binding spell at all seven defendants, freezing them in place momentarily. This time, he would not miss.

Suddenly, a beam of light blasted out from the column of ice where Jay and Piper remained frozen, hitting Sarok square in the chest. "No!" he howled in defeat, as ice began pooling around his feet, climbing swiftly upwards. "You can't do this! Noooooooo!"

Then he was frozen, nothing but a solid pillar of ice. And Jay and Piper were free.

"Piper!" Kai cried, the instant the binding spell wore off, putting on a desperate burst of speed. They caught up in a tight embrace. As they did, the heavy blizzard slowly melted away. "I told you it would work," she smiled weakly, then passed out in his arms. "She'll be fine," Topi assured, before Kai could panic, "It's just the after effects of the spell. Being frozen in a block of ice can take a lot out of anyone. I've been out of it for awhile, and I'm still a bit worn down."

Kai nodded in relief. He glanced back at the ice statue of Sarok, where a tiny dark cloud continued to pour snow onto the evil lord; the only remainder of the impenetrable storm that had once covered the mountain. That would never happen again, he thought, then beckoned to the others. "Come on," he ushered, hefting a sleeping Piper in his arms while Zane did the same for Jay, "Let's get back to the Destiny's Bounty. I'd wager these two have quite a tale to share when they wake up!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Okay, I don't even know where to start," Jay confessed. The ninjas, Nya, Piper, Sensei Wu, Topi, and Jakob were once again seated around the table in the Destiny's Bounty.

"Why don't you start when we went back to the junkyard," Piper suggested, taking a sip from the steaming mug of hot chocolate sitting in front of her. Her brother nodded and continued, "So Piper and I swung back by the junk yard after the Dark M—I mean, after Jakob explained his motives to us. My—our—parents hadn't left for Ninjago City like we told them to yet, so we really quickly rigged up the AMS. It's not really an Anti Magic Shield anymore—it reflects spells."

He pulled it out of his pocket and set it on the table. "When Sarok hit us with the ice spell, the new AMS made it bounce back at him, freezing him on spot and unfreezing us." His sister nodded in affirmative. Then Jakob stood.

"Piper, read this aloud," he instructed, scribbling down a string of words on a sheet of paper and handing it to her. She looked at him suspiciously. "What is it?" "Just read it," he urged. "Okay…" She read it out loud. When she finished, a small flame erupted on her palm. She jumped in surprise: it didn't burn her. "Just as I thought," he said in satisfaction, "When you inadvertently froze Sarok, much of his power fled to you, just as Topi's power fled to me, so many years ago. Of course, now that she's unfrozen, I am once again powerless, but unless someone releases Sarok, the magic is yours to keep. And bound with his own spell, freeing him would be nearly impossible." Piper grinned.

"What are you going to do now?" Cole wondered. "Topi and I will probably take up where we left off, in Jimanuki village," Jakob asserted. His daughter nodded. "And you, Piper?" Kai asked hopefully. "You could stay here…" "Actually, I think I will," she agreed, "I've always wanted to become a ninja!" Kai beamed. Cole nodded. "It'll be nice to have a girl around," he added, winking at Kai. Nya frowned at him. "And what am I, chopped liver?" The black ninja only chuckled and ducked as Kai's sister tossed a pillow at him.

Kai took Piper's hand and led her out onto the deck. The sun was just rising, painting the sky with all the hues of pink, orange and purple that the color wheel had to offer. "I'm glad you're staying," Kai murmured. "Me, too," she replied softly.

Kai couldn't wait to see what the future held. Because standing in the breaking dawn of a new day, with Piper by his side and his friends to support him, he knew that anything was possible.

THE END

**Do u like how it ended? PM me what you think! Also make sure you check out my new Ninjago story, Worlds Unite! Farewell, my friends!**


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